Best Lawyers^® - Purely Peer Review^™

Partner Patrick T. Jones has been a trial lawyer since 1978 and works on substantial personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Prior to opening the law firm of Jones Kelleher, Patrick was a founding partner of Cooley Manion Jones, where he managed the contingent fee practice for over twenty-five years. Throughout his career, Patrick has tried medical malpractice, product liability, civil rights, construction site, eminent domain, and general liability tort cases. His practice has also in...

John Barnerd is a Partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy. He joined the firm in 2002 as mesothelioma and asbestos attorney, and today is a member of the firm’s management committee. He previously served for two years as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Madison County, Ill. John earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Illinois College and graduated with his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law. In 2010, Chicago Lawyers Magazine recognized him as a top 40 Under 40 ...

Richard Zielinski, who practices in Boston and New York, is a nationally known ‘bet the company’ trial lawyer who handles a wide range of complex, high-stakes commercial litigation. He is also known for his specific expertise in legal malpractice defense. According to Chambers USA, Richard is ‘very smart, thorough and knowledgeable. ’ Clients say he is ‘fantastic on his feet’ and ‘thinks seven steps ahead of everyone else.’ He has extensive tria...

Alan S. Miller has more than thirty-eight years of experience in complex litigation and counseling, concentrating in the areas of environmental law, insurance coverage and bad faith, and commercial litigation. He chairs the firm’s Environmental and Energy Law practice and the Insurance Coverage and Bad Faith Litigation practice. Alan’s environmental law practice has involved counseling, litigation and alternative dispute resolution of matters involving municipal, residual, and haz...

Mr. Zazzali has served as New Jersey's Attorney General and as an Associate Justice and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Since returning to private practice, he has been appointed by the state and federal governments, federal and state courts, and litigants as a monitor, receiver, independent counsel, independent investigator, discovery master, and bankruptcy trustee for various institutions and organizations in both the private and public sectors. Mr. Zazzali advises clients on...

Christopher M. Placitella is a shareholder in the law firm and an accomplished trial lawyer with a nationwide reputation as one of the country's leading legal authorities on mass tort, class actions, and asbestos-related diseases. He represents individuals injured by defective products and drugs, toxic substances, and environmental damage. Mr. Placitella is dedicated to working on behalf of victims of corporate misconduct, and this dedication has helped shape the direction of the firm and its...

Joel has over 40 years of experience in tax, business, asset protection, and estate and gift tax planning for high net worth individuals and entrepreneurs. He consults on business entities, including limited liability companies (LLCs), S corporations and limited liability partnerships (LLPs). He structures and prepares shareholder agreements, operating agreements and other business agreements. He also routinely handles sophisticated estate planning including the preparation of wills, revocabl...